1950's

1953 – San José City Council appropriates over $270,000 for airport expansion, allowing the purchase of 76 additional acres of the Crocker Estate north of Brokaw Road and approved purchase of another 63 acres north of Kifer Road and south of Bayshore Highway.

1955 – SJC has one runway, power lines still looped across airport land, and the Guadalupe River east of the airport not yet realigned.

1957– City builds a six-story aluminum air traffic control tower. San José voters approve a $3.5 million bond issue to finance runway expansion, construction of a new administration building, purchase of the remainder of needed land, and removal of obstructions. Federal funds are allocated for the realignment of the Guadalupe River.

1958 – Fifty three acres is added to the airport with purchase of land north of Brokaw Road between Kifer Road and the Guadalupe River.

1959 –City of San José hires Radar and Associates, an engineering firm, to study the needs of the airport and develop a master plan.